J-^ ONE will deny but those are blessed pains Which are attended with the richest gains. Grant this, and then most clearly 'tis inferr'd, Soul- work to all deserves to be preferr'd. This is an unknown trade : O who can count To what the gains of godliness amount ? For one poor shilling, O what risks some run ? Some toiling as i' th' fire, from sun to sun. Whereas one hour spent with God brings in Such heavenly treasures, that poor souls have been Enrich'd for ever. Even as you see A prince's favourite, upon the knee, Can in an hour's time more wealth obtain, Than all your lives by labour you can gain. Pray'r-gains are great, and quick returns are made. Sure then the Christian drives the richest trade. 'Tis true the hypocrite that never drove A serious trade for heaven may bankrupt prove : But holy souls, who mind, and closely ply Their business, greatly are enrich'd thereby :
THE HEAVENLY USE OF EARTHLY THINGS. S7
The difTrence 'twixt the one, and th' other's best By such a simile as this, exprest : As in a summer's day you often see The wanton butterfly, and painful bee; On fragrant flowers fix, whence one doth strive To bear his precious burden to the hive ; The other's pains no profit with it brings, His time is spent in painting of his wings. When winter comes, the bee hath full supplies. The other creeps into an hole, and dies. Like different events shall be betwixt The painful saint, and lazy notionist.
Upon the cheerfulness of the Husbandman.
The plowman sings., and "whistles, though he sweaty Shall Christians droop, because their work is great ;
X HOUGH the labours of the husbandman are very great and toilsome, yet with what cheei'fulness do they go through them ? It is very delightful to hear the melody they make, by whistling, as they follow the plow ; yea, the very horses have their bells, which make a pleasant noise. Horses (saith Mr. Fuller) will do more for a whistle than a whip ; and their bells do, as it were, gingle away their weariness. I have been often delighted with this country music, whereby they sweeten their hard labours with an innocent pleasure, and verify the saying of the poet :
Tempus in agrorum cultu consumere dulce est. Ovid, Altho' they plow from morning until night, Time steals away with pleasure and delight.
JJUT how much greater cause have the people of God to address themselves unto his work with all cheerfulness of spirit? And, indeed, so far as the heart is spiritual, it delights in its duties. It is true, the work of a Christian is painful, and much more spending than the husbandman's, (as was opened, Chap. 1.) but then it as much exceeds in the delights and pleasures that attend it. What is the Christian's work, but " with joy to draw water out of the wells of " salvation ?^ Isa. xii. 3. You may see what a pleasant path the paths of duty is, by the cheerfulness of those that have walked in
^8 Husbandry spiuitualized ; on,
them, Psal. cxix. 14. " I have rejoiced in the way of thy jiulgments, " as much as in all riches." And by the promises that are made to such, Psal. cxxxviii. 5. " Yea, they sing in the ways of the Lord, " for great is the glory of the Lord." And again, " You shall have '^ a song as in the night, when an holy solemnity is kept, and glad- " ness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe, to come to the '' mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel," Isa. xxx.
And, lastly, by the many commands, whereby joy in the way of the Lord is made the duty of the saints. " Rejoice in the Lord, ye " righteous, for praise is comely for the upright," Psal. xcvii. 12. " Rejoice, and again I say, rejoice," Phil. iv. 4. where the com- mand is doubled, yea, not only simple rejoicing, but the highest de- gree of that duty comes within the command. Psal. cxxxii. 9, 16. " Shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart." And Luke vii. 28, 23. they are bid to leap for joy^ when about the difficultest part of their work. And that you may see there is a sufficient ground for it, and that it is not like the mad mirth of sinners, be pleased to consider,
1*^5 The nature of the work about which they are employed : It is the most excellent and heavenly employment that ever souls were acquainted with. O what a ravishing and delightful thing it is to walk with God ! And yet by this, the whole work of a Christian is expressed, Gen. xvii. 1. Can any life compare with this, for plea- sure .? Can thev be chill that walk in the sun-shine .^ Or sad, that abide in the fountain of all delights ; and walk with him whose name is the God of all comfort, 2 Cor. i. 3. " In whose presence is the '' fulness of joy," Psal. xvi. 11. O what an angelical life doth a Christian then live "^
Or, 2^Z2/, If we consider the variety of spiritual employments, Varietas delectat. Change of employment takes off the tediousness of labour. Variety of voices pleases the ear, variety of colours de- lights the eye, the same meat prepared several ways, pleases the pa- late more, and clogs it less. But oh the variety of choice dishes where- with God entertains his people in a Sabbath ! as the word, prayer, sacraments, &c. Isa. Iviii. 13, If thou call the Sabbath thydelights ; or, as Tremellius renders it, thy dehcate things. " My soul (saith David) shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness," Psal. Ixiii. 5.
^dly^ or lastly^ If we consider the suitableness of this work to a re- generate soul. Is it any pain for a bird to fly ? Or a fish to swim ? Is the eye tired with beautiful objects.? Or the ear with melodious sounds .? As little can a spiritual soul be wearied with spiritual and heavenly exercises. Rom. vii. 22 " I delight in the law of God after " the inner man." Gravia non gravltant in eorum loco, (saith the philosopher) weighty things are not heavy in their own element, or centre. And surely God is the centre of all gracious spirits. A saint can sit from morning to night to hear discourses of the love and
THE HEAVENLY USE OF EARTHLY THINGS. B9
loveliness of Jesus Christ. The sight of your thriving flocks and flourishing fields, cannot yield you that pleasure which an upright soul can find in one quarter of an hour's communion with God. <« They that are after the flesh, (saith the apostle, Rom. viii. 5.) do " mind the things of the flesh, and they that are after the Spirit, the " things of the Spirit." But then look how much heavenly objects transcend earthly ones, and how much the soul is more capable of de- light in those objects, than the gross and duller senses are in theirs ; so much doth the pleasure arising from duty excel all sensitive^ de- lights on earth.